Hardening means for gears and the like



July 28, 1942. G. o. GRIDLEY HARDENING MEANS FOR GEARS AND THE LIKEFiled Jan. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS y p 1942- G. o. GRIDLEYHARDENING MEANS FOR GEARS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1940 2Sheets-Shae). 2

INVENTOR GEO/Q65 0. GlQ/DLEY ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 28, 1942 HARDENING MEANS FOR areas AND THE LIKE George 0.Gridley, Berlin, Conn, assignor to The New Britain Machine Company, NewBritain, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application January 10,1940, Serial No. 313,22?

8 Claims.

My invention relates to hardening means for gears and the like.

In treating gears and the like to render the peripheral portions wearresistant, it is desirable to quickly heat only the peripheral portionsand then quench the same so as to harden the article at the peripheralportion. By heating only the periphery the liability of distortion ofthe entire gear during heating or quenching is reduced to a minimum.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved,simple, rapid and effective means for hardening gears and the like.

Other objects will be hereinafter pointed out or will become apparent tothose skilled in the art.

Briefly stated, in a preferred form of the invention a gear or the like,the teeth or peripheral portion of which is to be hardened, and aheating means for the periphery of the gear are rotated relatively toeach other so as to uniformly heat the parts of the gear which are to behardened. The heated gear is then promptly quenched. The gear itself ispreferably rotated and before quenching (in one form of the invention)the heating means and gear are separated from each other and the gearmoved to such position that when it is stripped from its carrier it isdropped into a quenching tank flatwise so as to quench the heatedportions of the gear quickly a:

by immersion of the entire gear.

In the drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferredform of the invention- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan View of amachine illustrative of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation in partial section of themachine shown in Fig 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating certainparts in different relative positions;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in right hand elevation of the machineshown in Fig. 2.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated, I provide a base 5carrying an upright standard 6. Upon the standard is mounted a swingingor oscillating head designated generally l. The head 7 is rotatablymounted upon a shaft 8 extending preferably substantially in ahorizontal direction so that the oscillating head L I may oscillate in agenerally vertical plane. The head I carries a rotatable shaft 9 whichis oscillatable with the head.

In the form illustrated, the head 1 has a cylindrical sleeve part Ill onthe inside of which is reciprocably but non-rotatably mounted a quill orsleeve ll. Within the sleeve I I the shaft 9 is rotatably mounted but isprevented from substantial longitudinal motion therein as by means of acollar l2 on the shaft at one end of the sleeve and a shoulder flange orcollar 13 at the opposite end abutting against the sleeve or a partgenerally carried thereby. At the rear the sleeve 10 may be providedwith a suitable bearing !3' to journal the rear end of the shaft 9. Theshaft is keyed as at is to a pulley l5, which in turn is driven as bymeans of a belt l5 from the pulley H. The pulley ll may be drivenpreferably from a motor !8 carried by the base. The motor may beconnected as by a belt 15 or otherwise so as to drive a shaft 2t throughthe pulley 2 l. The shaft 29 is journaled in the standard boss 22 on anaxis substantially coincident with the axis of the shaft 8 carrying theentire oscillating head I. The shaft 28 is connected as by means ofbevel gears 23 to a shaft 24 carrying the pulley W. The shaft 2d ismounted in the oscillating head i on an axis parallel to the axis of therotating shaft 9. Therefore, it will be seen that the motor it may drivethe rotating shaft 9 regardless of the rotative position of the head I;that is to say, since the shafts B and 2! are preferably on coincidentaxes, the head i may be oscillated to any position, say, from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig, 3, withoutinterrupting the rotative drive of the shaft 5.

The sleeve H reciprocably carried by the head I is provided with meansto cause its reciprocation. In the form shown the sleeve carries a rack25 and the head I has a gear housing 25 for the rack gear 21 rotatablymounted therein on a shaft 28 meshing with the rack 25. The rack gear Ziis rotatable by suitable means such as the handle 29 on the gear shaft23. Thus with the parts as shown in Fig. 2 when the handle 2 is rotatedin .a counterclockwise direction the rack gear 2'? will, through therack 25, move the sleeve l and with the rotating shaft 9 toward theright. This movement of the shaft 9 does not interrupt the rotativedrive to the latter since the shaft is keyed to the pulley it asheretofore noted.

The forward end, of the shaft 9 is arranged for detachably carrying agear 39 or the like to be hardened. In the form shown, the shaft 9 isprovided with a stump 3% which may be interchanged wi-th other similarstumps to fit gears having different bores. The gear 39 may be held onthe shaft 9 in detachable fashion by various mechanical means, but Iprefer to hold the gear thereon by magnetic means either of thepermanent or electromagnetic type. In the form illustrated, I provideadjacent the gear an electromagnetic coil 32 concentric with and carriedby the sleeve and acting when energized to urge the gear 30 toward theright and hold it in place on the stump 3|.

The gear 30 when held on the rotatable shaft 9 is heated by a suitablemeans. In the form shown, the base 5 carries a standard 33 having a ringholder 34, which ring holder may carry'a plurality of flame hardeningheads 35 disposed in position and provided with the necessary flame jetopenings for heating the desired peripheral portion of the gear 30. Forsimplicity, the necessary gas and oxygen conveyor pipes have beenomitted. The heating means and gear are arranged for movement relativelyto each other to separate the heating means and gear before quenching.In the illustrated form the gear is arranged to be withdrawn from theheating head.

The magnetic coil 32 is preferably energized and deenergized in anautomatic manner. In the form illustrated showing an electromagneticmeans, the two conductors 3'|-3|a are connected to a suitable source ofcurrent. The conductor 31 is connected to a terminal 39 which iselectrically connected to a conducting arcuate strip 38 fixedly mountedon the standard 6 and concentric with the shaft 8 about which the head Iis designed to oscillate. The conductor 36 comprising one lead to thecoil 32 (the conductor 31a is the other coil lead) is connected to aterminal carried by the oscillatory head 1 and has a contact brush 4| inposition to ride on the conducting strip 38 when the entire head isoscillated. The conducting strip 38 terminates at the point 42, so that,when the head I is oscillated to the position shown in Fig. 3, thecontact brush 4| will have left the conducting strip 38 by riding ontothe non-conductive piece Ma, and the electrical connection to the coil32 will be broken. However, when the parts are in the position shown inFig. 2, the brush 4| will be riding on the conducting strip 38 and thecircuit to the coil 32 will be made.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The handle 29 is first rotated in a counterclockwise direction to aboutthe dot-dash line position shown in Fig. 2. This rotation of the crankwill of course cause the sleeve H and with it the shaft 9 to bewithdrawn toward the right to the dot-dash position shown in Fig. 2.When in that position the right hand end of the shaft 9 will project andin order to prevent injury to an operator I may provide a shaft guard 43for the free end of the shaft. With the shaft 9 withdrawn to the rightas indicated in Fig. 2, a gear blank may be fitted on the stump 3| andsince the coil 32 will be energized, the blank will be magnetically heldin place on the stump. After the gear is in place, the handle 29 isrotated in a clockwise direction to the full line position shown in Fig.2, which rotation of the crank will project the gear 30 into the fullline position of Fig. 2. With the flame heads 35 in operation and themotor |8 driving the shaft 9, the gear will be rotated and theperipheral portion thereof very rapidly heated to the desiredtemperature for gear hardening. When the gear is at the requisitetemperature, the handle 29 is again rotated counterclockwise to thedot-dash line position and the gear will be retracted to its dotdashline position and the coil 32 will abut the head 1 and prevent furtherretraction of the shaft. Now, upon further counterclockwise rotation ofthe handle 29, the entire head I, and of course with it the gear 30,will be rotated about the axis of the shaft 8 until a substantiallyupright position is reached, as shown in Fig. 3. When that position isreached, the stop pin 44 carried by the head I will contact the stop orabutment 45 and prevent further rotation of the head. It will also beunderstood that rotation of the head in the opposite direction islimited by the stop pin 44 coming in contact with the abutment 46 alsocarried by the standard 6. When the head 1 reaches substantially theupright position as shown in Fig. 3, the contact brush 4| will leave theconducting strip 38 and the circuit to the holding coil will be brokenand the gear 30 will drop from the stump 3| as illustrated in Fig. 3.The gear is then quickly quenched, preferably by positioning a quenchingtank 41 directly beneath the position of the gear in Fig. 3. It is ofcourse possible to slide or otherwise conduct the gear to the quenchingtank, but I prefer to drop the gear directly into the tank while thegear is in a substantially horizontal plane so that the entire gear indropping fiatwise into the quenching liquid will be quickly submergedand the heated portions hardened. When the gear has been dropped ofiinto the quenching tank, the handle 29 may be released and the entirehead 1 will return by gravity or by other means to the position shown inFig. 2, but with the shaft 9 still retracted. A new gear to be hardenedmay then be put in place, the handle 29 again rotated clockwise to itsfull line position of Fig. 2 and the heating and quenching operationsrepeated.

By means of a machine embodying my invention, gears and the like may bevery rapidly and expeditiously hardened. By providing a sufficientnumber of flame heads, the heating of the gear periphery is effectedvery rapidly. The withdrawal of the gear and movement of the same intoposition to be dropped into the quenching tank is also a rapid, simpleoperation. The entire machine is exceedingly simple and cheap tomanufacture and there are no parts likely to get out of order.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail andpreferred forms shown or described, it is to be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made within the scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated, a shaft for holdin a gear tobe hardened, means for heating the periphery of the gear while thelatter is positioned on said shaft, means for rotating said gear, andmeans for moving said heating mean and gear relatively to each other ina direction substantially longitudinally of said shaft to remove thegear from the zone of said heating means, and swinging said shaft andgear about an axis at an angle to said shaft to position said shaft in agenerally vertical position, and means for releasing said gear from saidshaft, whereby said gear may slide off of said shaft when the latterreache a generally vertical position.

2. In a device of the character indicated, a base member, a head membermounted for rotation thereon about a substantially horizontal axis, ashaft rotatably carried by said head memher on an axis at substantiallyright angles to the axis of saidhead member, means for sliding saidshaft longitudinally of itself on said head member, means for rotatingsaid shaft in said head member, and heating means for a gear while thegear is carried by said shaft when the latter is in one position.

3. In a device of the character indicated, a base, a head rotatablymounted thereon about a generally horizontal axis, a sleeve slidably andnon-rotatably mounted on said head on an axis at substantially rightangles to the axis of said rotatable head, a shaft rotatably carriedwithin said slidable sleeve, means for rotating said shaft in saidsleeve, said sleeve having rack teeth carried thereby, a rack gearrotatably mounted on said head and meshing with said rack teeth, ahandle for rotating said rack gear whereby upon rotation of the lattersaid sleeve and shaft will be projected or retracted, magnetic means forholding a gear to be hardened on one end of said shaft, heating meansfor heating the periphery of said gear when the latter is on said shaftand when said shaft is in substantially horizontal position andprojected, whereby upon rotation of said handle in the direction toretract said shaft, said gear will be withdrawn from the zone of saidheating means, and said head together with said shaft and gear may beswung about said generally horizontal axis, for the purpose described.

4. In a device of the character indicated, a shaft for carrying a gearto be hardened, means for rotating said shaft, means for heating theperiphery of said gear while the gear is being rotated by said shaft,means for mounting said shaft for longitudinal reciprocation andswinging in a generally vertical plane, and a single rotatable means formoving said shaft longitudinally and swinging the same in said generallyvertical plane, for the purpose described.

5. In a machine of the character indicated, a shaft, means for rotatingthe same, electromagnetic circuit means for releasably holding a gear tobe hardened at one end of said shaft,

means for mounting said shaft for longitudinal reciprocation andswinging about an axis at an angle to the axis of said shaft, heatingmeans for heating the periphery of a gear while the gear is carried bysaid shaft when the latter is in one position, and a common means forretracting said shaft and said gear from the zone of said heating means,and swinging said shaft about said axis, and means forautomatically'breaking the circuit of said electromagnetic means atsubstantially the end of said swinging movement, for the purposedescribed.

6. In a device of the character indicated, a shaft for carrying a gearto be hardened, means for releasably holding said gear on said shaft,means for rotating said shaft, means for mounting said shaft forlongitudinal movement and swinging about a generally horizontal axis,means for heating the periphery of said gear while the latter is beingrotated by said shaft and when said shaft is in one longitudinalposition, means for moving said shaft longitudinally for separating thegear from said heating means after said gear has been heated and swinginsaid shaft about said generally horizontal axis, for the purposedescribed.

'7. In a machine of the character indicated, a shaft, means for rotatingthe same, magnetic means for releasably holding a gear to be hardened atone end of said shaft, means for mounting said shaft for longitudinalreciprocation and for swinging about a generally horizontal axis,heating means for heatin the periphery of a gear while the latter iscarried by said shaft when the latter is in one position, means forretracting said shaft and said gear from the zone of said heating meansand for swinging said shaft about said generally horizontal axis, andmeans for automatically rendering said magnetic means inoperative tohold said gear when said shaft has been swung to substantially verticalposition, for the purpose described.

8. In a machine of the character indicated, a shaft, means for rotatingthe same, magnetic means for releasably holding a gear to be hardened atone end of said shaft, means for mounting said shaft for longitudinalreciprocation and for swinging about a generally horizontal axis,heating means for heating the periphery of a gear while the latter iscarried by said shaft when the latter is in one position, and means forretracting said shaft and said gear from the zone of said heating meansand for swinging said shaft about said generally horizontal axis, forthe purpose described.

GEORGE O. GRIDLEY.

